BMW 'M'aybes: Cars that almost made it

BMW is globally known for its unconventional, out of the blue ideas when it comes to their M-series. M3 pickups, M5 cabrios, X6M are all cars that may be assumed to border on eccentric. While the M-brand has gone on to become a much-loved (and bought) badge, there are times when it helps to look at the cars that did not make it, but did help the current crop of blazing Beemers to come about. The most recent of such ‘almost there’ models from BMW is a CSL version of the M6 coupe with power boost, active aerodynamics, and a fully electronic rear spoiler. The car was fully developed but could not see through production.

Another one of such stories was of the M8 prototype. Hallowed by 550hp and a V12 engine under the hood the car was cancelled and the engine was reworked on to produce a powerplant for what we call the McLaren F1 today.

The BMW M-ified

The first-generation X5 prototype which produced 700hp and was capable of doing 186m/h (300km/h) also unfortunately didn’t see the manufacturing plant. To add to the list of Bavarian cars that didn’t ever see production is M-ified 318ti, E46 M3 wagon and E39 M5 wagon. After playing with a zillion combinations for the M5 and finally bending the V10 to a V12 on the occasion of the model’s 25th anniversary, disappointment came in when the engine bay was a wee bit too small for the V12.

So if you thought the cars you use or see are the first cars that manufacturers produce and straight away start selling them, just know that in the car business that may not always be the case. All said and done we hope that BMW is taking some inspiration from Henry Ford and following his “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently” statement, and keeps giving us sublime, exciting and ‘joy’ful machines.